Excess alcohol intake is associated with many negative effects and is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. World Health Organization has established a global plan with 10 primary policy areas and interventions and six important action areas to reduce alcohol’s negative effects. However, alcohol intervention programs face several challenges that can hinder their success in assisting patients with alcohol consumption reduction and cessation. The objective of this scoping review was to identify the barriers to the implementation of alcohol intervention programs. The Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations and PCC (participants, concepts, context) eligibility criteria were used for the review. A combination of search phrases was used to narrow the literature search to 2014–2024 English-language papers and original research articles with full access. After removing duplication, 3,846 articles remained from the 5,128 found. After further exclusions, 19 eligible studies were included in this review. Five main barriers to care were identified: service-level barriers, barriers to care seeking, stigma, socio-cultural barriers, and external barriers. Robust regulations and implementation are necessary to effectively address service levels and external barriers. To enhance help-seeking behaviors, alcohol screening should be implemented, strict management policies for alcohol use disorders should be enforced, and accessible alternatives should be provided. Additionally, public health initiatives should focus on changing societal perceptions to counteract alcohol normalization. These efforts must involve both communities and workplaces.

Citations

• A year of significant progress for the Korean Journal of Family Medicine
  Seung-Won Oh
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2026; 47(1): 1.     CrossRef
• Long‐term effects of a peer‐led Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) intervention to reduce alcohol consumption among Spanish university students: A 12‐month randomised controlled trial
  María Lavilla‐Gracia, María Pueyo‐Garrigues, Cristina Alfaro‐Díaz, Navidad Canga‐Armayor
  Addiction.2026; 121(7): 1850.     CrossRef
• Developing a standardised global survey to monitor alcohol use and related harms among school-going adolescents
  Cosmas Zyambo, Wingston Felix Ng’ambi
  Discover Public Health.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sociodemographic and Clinical Correlates of Missed Opportunities for Evidence-Based Alcohol Counseling Among Adults Who Report Binge Drinking
  Michelle F. Robinson, Alyssa M. Falise, Jessy G. Devieux, Jingwei Gu, Mariana Sanchez, Clifton Addison, Elena Bastida
  American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2026; 71(3): 108408.     CrossRef
• Health behaviors, lifestyle factors, and healthcare challenges in family medicine: a comprehensive review of recent evidence from Asian populations
  Joung Sik Son
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2025; 46(4): 215.     CrossRef

Background
: The aim of this study was to investigate the health problems which women feel important and what they want to know from their doctors in the family practice clinics.
Methods
: The subjects were all female patients who visited the family practice clinics at the four hospitals in which some members of the Study Group for Women's Health in Korean Academy of Family Medicine worked from December 10 to 15, 2001. We surveyed by self-administered questionnaire on important health topic, health care services they woud like to receive, what they expected from their doctors, what topics they have difficulty in discussing with, the doctors preference of physician's gender. We analyzed the results by age groups; 19∼44, 45∼64, and 65 years old and over.
Results
: A total of 437 women answered the questionnaires, whose mean age was 49.4 year. Health topics that women felt important were osteoporosis, stress, cervical cancer, arthritis, and stroke, which varied with the age groups and recent health perception. The provision of health care services which they desired were in the order of treatment, prevention and health promotion, and diagnosis, which varied with the age groups and recent health perception. What they expected from their doctors were in the order of giving accurate diagnosis, explaining the treatment plan, and answering their questions. They had difficulty undergoing physical exam undressed, gynecological exam, and discussing on their sexual problems.
Conclusion
: Women who visited the family practice clinics felt differently on important health problems according to the age groups. Overall, they wanted to receive health services on the treatment, prevention and health promotion of osteoporosis, stress, cervical cancer, and arthritis.